Mishkat al-Masabih 4416

“When the time draws near* a believer’s vision can hardly be false. A believer’s vision is a forty-sixth part of prophecy, and what pertains to prophecy cannot be false.” Muhammad ibn Sirin said he held that visions were of three types: ideas which come from within, terrifying caused by the devil, and good news from God; so when one sees anything he dislikes he should not tell it to anyone, but should get up and pray.

He said he disliked seeing a shackle on the neck in sleep, but that people were pleased by a fetter, as it is said that a fetter indicates being firmly established in the religion. (Bukhari and Muslim.) Bukhari said that Qatada, Yunus, Hushaim** and Abu Hilal transmitted it on the authority of Ibn Sirin who quoted Abu Hurayrah’s authority.

Yunus said he thought that what was said about the fetter comes from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), but Muslim said he did not know whether it was in the tradition, or whether Ibn Sirin said it. In a version there is something to the same effect, and the words “he disliked seeing a shackle on the neck…” to the end have been inserted in the tradition. * The suggestions made are that this means when the last hour draws near, at the equinox, or when the Mahdi comes. ** Bukhari, Tabir, 26, has Hisham.